CRACK IN THE MIRROR

US, 1989, 95 minutes, Colour.
Robby Benson, Tawny Kitaen, Danny Aiello, Kevin Gray.
Directed by Robby Benson.

Crack in the Mirror is a tough New York drug movie. It shows the sordid world of drug dealing, of cocaine and crack. It also has exploitive touches as it shows the degradation in this world.

The film stars and is directed by Robby Benson - who is not always persuasive as going downhill in the drug world. He seems too much the clean cut type. Danny Aiello and Kevin Gray are contrasting villains. The film offers familiar material - but shows it in its sordidness and depression. There is a final killing which seems to ask the audience to applaud even thought it is violent.

1. The drug world of New York City, the fi1m as a warning with its opening statistics, its exploitive touches?

2. The tradition of gangster films in the drug world? The American cities of the 80s? The violence of the drug dealers?

3. The background of New York City, the ugly side of the city, the variety of worlds of the dealers and the drug users? The atmospheric score?

4. The title, Scott looking into the mirror at himself? The drug, crack?

5. The opening of the film, the introduction to so many characters, the deals, the violence? the couple with Butchie, the deal, the money, their being killed and mutilated in the street?

6. Butchie, smooth and suave drug dealer, his youthfulness? The range of contacts, his deals? Bad drugs in circulation? Scott coming to him, being lured there? The setup, giving him his job? Going away and hiding? the news, his henchmen and their psychotic violence, the black and the old man, his return? The clash with Charlie Buick? His fear, betraying Scott? Scott and Angelo returning, the prolonged killing him by means of the drugs?

6. Scott and Vanessa, the yuppie lifestyle, their work? Taking cocaine? Vanessa and her lies, the drug connections, Butchie? Seeing her at work, her collapse? Scott and Dwayne? the finding of the drugs, giving them to Scott, his decision to return them to Butchie, the proposal, the case full of money, Scott thinking it over and deciding to do the dealing? the deals and the various types? The money? Taking the drugs, meeting Vanessa, the truth? Her trying crack? Meeting Angelo, his following him, giving him the money? The degradation, his physical collapse? The party and the orgiastic behaviour? Seeing Vanessa with Dwayne, sexual encounter with Tiffany? His life in a mess? Butchie's return, Scott's lapse? The betrayal by Vanessa, Her taking the money? Her death? Angelo taking Scott to be killed, the deal with Angelo?

8. Buick, tough, the Mafia connections? His interest in Broadway plays, legitimate theatre - and the auditions of untalented people? Angelo and family? Angelo's killing the wrong man? The henchmen? The murders, the threats to Butchie, murdered by Butchie's men?

9. Angelo, dumb, killer, with his uncle, initial mistake? Following Scott? Friendship with Scott, saving him?

10. Dwayne and his friendship with Scott, double dealing, the money, the drugs, blackmailing Vanessa?

11. Scott and Vanessa, the possibility of drying out, the money? Vanessa taking the money? Her death?

12. The atmosphere of brutality, drugs and sex, degradation? How exploitive?

13. Angelo and Scott, the confrontation of Butchie, forcing him to take the drugs at gunpoint, his death?

14. The glimpse of the drug world and the vicarious experiencing of it - prurient, repellent?